3-2-1 Go

I leave my parents' home around 11. One last stopover at the bicycle shop to buy a tire pressure gauge, which reveals I can add another 1 bar into each tire. Rolls easier that way! The weather is perfect (a bit cloudy).

I reach Saarlouis at 17:30 and set up my tent for the first time at the camp site "Dr Dadder". Very clean, quiet and also there is free Wifi by the local organization "freifunk.net"

Later another cyclist arrives. He's around 70, from South Germany, travelling the region for about 6 weeks this Summer.

I go to bed at 11pm, but not before eating shitloads of food: I'm hungry!

After an unrestful night (my tent neighbor's snores were quite audible) I awake around 8am. I'm having a slow breakfast and then start packing up my things. I'm not quite sure What happened there but it's already afternoon when I'm ready to leave!

Stopover in Saarbruecken to have an Kebap.

After a minute a man who sees my parked bike approaches me enthusiastically and asks me all about my trip. He used to train cyclists but for health reasons cannot ride himself anymore.

I reach Sarreguemines in the afternoon. The tourist info recommends the camp site in Neufgrange, not too far away. It's huge site, more like a gated community for all-year campers and mobile homes. The actual camping ground is empty, save for a French family with a camper van. I'll pay 11 Euro to set up my tent. The shower fee is an outrageous 2 EUR for 10 minutes. No thanks :)

I get up a 7:35. The night was not too bad -- I slept very well until about 4am. SomeWhat noisy cause there is a train track and a main road closeby. I'm getting better at time management and start cycling around 11. An hour later I realize the Eurovelo 5 route which I'm following along the "Saarkanal" is way West of my GPS route and I'm not gonna make it to the planned camp site.

I take a "short-cut" to Sarrebourg and this is the first time I'm really starting to sweat on hilly terrain. As soon as I stop to look for the way, flies start attacking and I can't see anytghing cause the sweat runs into my eyes.

Moreover the 3 litres of water I carry in my Ortlieb water bag taste horribly like plastic after only 3 hours in the sun. Stopover at the supermarket in Sarrebourg where I meet a German couple bike touring the area.

The tourist info in Sarrebourg calls the camp site "Camping du plan Incline" to reconfirm they are open. I'm in luck. The way to the camp ground is mostly downhill and the last few km are truly scenic along the dried-up canal "Ancien canal de la Marne au Rhin".

My achilles hurt, I guess my pedaling position needs some tuning. Tomorrow will be a rest day!